Top Cow Productions

Infobox Company
company_name = Top Cow Productions
company_
company_type = Comic publisher
company_slogan =
foundation = 1992
founder = Marc Silvestri
key_people = Marc Silvestri
location = Los Angeles
industry = Comics
homepage = [http://www.topcow.com TopCow.com]

Top Cow Productions (TCP) is an American comics publisher, a partner studio of Image Comics founded by Marc Silvestri in 1992.

History

During initial stages of Image Comics, Marc Silvestri shared a studio with Jim Lee, where he created his first creator-owned comic, "Cyberforce", as part of Image's initial line-up. After setting up his own studio, Top Cow Productions, he expanded into other comics, launching "", a new "Cyberforce" series and various spin-offs.

The company attracted several professionals known across the industry, including artist Brandon Peterson, writer Garth Ennis and former Marvel staffer David Wohl. It also helped launch the careers of various writers and artists, such as Christina Z., Joe Benitez, Michael Turner and David Finch. Benitez, Turner and Finch have since worked for DC and Marvel Comics.

In 1996, Top Cow briefly departed from Image during a power struggle with Image associate Rob Liefeld until Liefeld left the company shortly after. At the same time, Top Cow was abandoning superheroes and moving into a darker subsegment, the fantasy genre. New properties were "Witchblade" (where Turner had his first big success) and "The Darkness" (where Marc Silvestri returned to artist duties). Thanks to the success of "Witchblade" Top Cow was able to expand, adding to its line with titles that included "The Darkness", "Magdalena", "Aphrodite IX", and others. Silvestri was heavily involved in training and developing new talent through the studio and Top Cow was known for a time for its "house style".

In addition to company owned properties Top Cow has from time to time worked with creators to develop creator generated properties. These properties have included " Turner's Fathom" which eventually ended up at Aspen Comics; Joe's Comics, created exclusively for J. Michael Straczynski, which included "Rising Stars", "Midnight Nation", "The Agency", and "Obergeist".

Top Cow is also known for bringing "Tomb Raider"'s Lara Croft to comics, with various graphic novels written and drawn by some of the industry's best known creators, including Dan Jurgens, Paul Jenkins, and artist Andy Park. The cartoon "Battle of the Planets" is another licensed property in which Top Cow has invested, collaborating with cover artist Alex Ross.

In 2006, Top Cow made a business agreement with Marvel Comics to use several of their licensed properties in their own series, with characters including Wolverine and the Punisher, appearing in crossovers (Darkness/Wolverine and Witchblade/Punisher). Also, as part of this agreement, several Top Cow artists are to provide art chores on various Marvel series, for example Tyler Kirkham completing ' and "New Avengers/Transformers" and Mike Choi completing '. At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con an announcement was made by Marvel Comics extending the deal into 2008.

At the 2007 New York Comic Con it was announced that Top Cow will be one of the first major comics publishers to offer online distribution, through a partnership with IGN.com. The initial titles offered will be Tomb Raider #1-50, "The Darkness" #1-50 and "Witchblade" #1-50, at around $1 per issue. [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=102847 NYCC 07/D2: Hawkins corrects/clarifies Top Cow Digital Comics] , February 25, 2007, Newsarama] They have also announced a deal with Zannel to license their comics as mobile comics. [ [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/118978182188519.htm BAM! KAPOW! BOOM! Zannel And Top Cow Team Up To Fight Mobile Boredom] , September 14, 2007]

Titles

Titles published by Top Cow include:

A - C

* "Aphrodite IX" #0-4
* "Aphrodite IX Pilot Season 1
* "Ascension" #0-22
* "Ballistic" #1-3
* "Ballistic Action #1
* "Ballistic SwimSuit Special
* "Battle of the Planets" #1-12 (licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
* "Battle of The Planets" - Jason #1
* "Battle of The Planets" - Mark #1 (licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
* "Battle of The Planets" - Princess #1-6 (licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
* "Battle of The Planets" and Witchblade - Savior
* "Blood Legacy" #1-4
* "Blood Legacy" - The Young Ones
* "Butcher Knight" #1-4
* "City of Heroes" #1-20(licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
* "" #1-14
* "Common Grounds" #1-6
* "Cyblade Pilot Season 1
* "Cyberforce" vol.1 #1-4
* "Cyberforce" vol.2 #1-35
* "Cyberforce" vol.3 #0-6
* "Cyberforce: Origins" #1-3 & "Misery Special"

D - G

* "The Darkness" vol.1 #1/2-40
* "The Darkness" vol.2 #1/2-24
* "The Darkness" vol.3 #1/2-present
* "The Darkness"- Black sails #1
* "The Darkness"- Infinity #1
* "The Darkness"- Wanted Dead
* "The Darkness"- Level 0 - 5
* "Darkness vs. Eva" (by Leah Moore and John Reppion, with art by Edgar Salazar, one-shot, Top Cow/Dynamite Entertainment, forthcoming) [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=13152 In & Out of the Dark Ages: Moore & Reppion on "Darkness vs. Eva"] , Comic Book Resources, February 26, 2008] [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=150642 Moore & Reppionon Darkness vs. Eva] , Newsarama, March 19, 2008]
* "Down" #1-4
* "Dragon Prince" [ [http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album.php?aid=20450 Exclusive Preview: Top Cow's Dragon Prince #1] , Newsarama, August 5, 2008]
* "EVO" #1
* "Fathom" vol.1 #1/2-14 (Published by Top Cow, owned by Aspen MLT)
* "Fathom" Crossover tour book (Published by Top Cow, owned by Aspen MLT)
* "Fathom" Killian's Tide #1-4 (Published by Top Cow, owned by Aspen MLT)
* "Fathom" Swimsuit Special (Published by Top Cow, owned by Aspen MLT)
* "Freshmen" vol.1 #1-5
* "Freshmen"- Yearbook

H - P

* "Hunter-Killer" #0-12
* "Hunter-Killer"- Dossier
* "Impaler" [ [http://www.topcow.com/impaler/ Impaler at Top Cow] ] [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17016 WW Chicago: Vlad Company- Harms talks "Impaler"] , Comic Book Resources, June 29, 2008]
* "The Magdalena" vol.1 #1-3
* "The Magdalena" vol.2 #1-4
* "Madame Mirage"
* "Midnight Nation" #1/2-12 (Joe's Comics)
* "Myth Warriors" #1
* "The Necromancer" #1-6
* "Nine Volt" #1-4
* "No Honor" #1-4
* "Pilot Season" [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=118405 Top Cows Pilot Program - Talking About Pilot Season] , Newsarama, June 27, 2007] [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11130 Top Cow's Pilot Season with Rob Levin and Jason Aaron] , Comic Book Resources, August 9, 2007]
* "Proximity Effect" #1-3

R - T

* "Ripclaw" Vol 1 #1/2-3
* "Ripclaw" Vol 2 #1-6
* "Ripclaw" Special
* "Rising Stars" (Joe's Comics) #1-24
* "Rising Stars"- Bright #1-3
* "Rising Stars"- Untouchable
* "Rising Stars"- Voices of the Dead #1-5
* "Soul Saga" #1-5
* "Spirit of Tao" #1-15
* "Strykeforce #1-5
* "Tales of the Darkness" #1/2-4
* "Tales of the Witchblade" #1/2-9
* "Tokyo Knights" #1
* "" #1
* "Tomb Raider" #1/2, 0-50 (licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
* "Tomb Raider"- Journey's #1-12
* "Tomb Raider"- Takeover #1

U - Z

* "Universe" #1-8
* "Velocity" #1-3
* "V.I.C.E." #1-5
* "Wanted" #1-6
* "Weapon Zero" #0-4
* "Witchblade" #1/2-present
* "Witchblade"- Animated #1
* "Witchblade"- Blood Oath #1
* "Witchblade"- Demon #1
* "Witchblade"- Destiny's Child #1-3
* "Witchblade"- Infinity #1
* "Witchblade"- Nottingham #1
* "Witchblade"- Obakemono #1
* "Witchblade"- Origin Special

ee Also

* Comics
* Graphic Novel
* San-Diego Comic-Con International
* Angoulême International Comics Festival
* Semic Comics
* Image Comics

Notes

References

* [http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080625-TopCow2.html Top Cow: Then and Now 2: Q&A with Publisher Filip Sablik] by Chris Arrant, Newsarama, June 25, 2008
* [http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080624-TopCow1.html Top Cow: Then and Now 1: Q&A with President Matt Hawkins] by Chris Arrant, Newsarama, June 24, 2008
*gcdb publisher|id=983|title=Top Cow Productions
*comicbookdb|type=publisher|id=61|title=Top Cow Productions

External links

* [http://www.topcow.com/ Top Cow] - Official Site
*MySpace|topcow|Top Cow
* [http://www.imagecomics.com/ Image Comics] - Image Comics Official Site